Antenna guy wire vibration damper



June" 2, 1959 w, A, WEAVER 2,889,011

ANTENNA GUY WIRE VIBRATION DAMPER Filed Sept. 29,v 1955 l if/4! Wes/ey A. Weaver INVENTOR.

United States Patent GUY VIBRATION DAMPER Wesley A. Weaver, Deming, N. Mex.

Application September 29, 1955, Serial No. 537,534

2 Claims. (Cl. 188--1) This invention relates to vibration damping devices, and particularly to a damper primarily useful in damping the vibrations of guy wires which help to support television antennas.

An object of this invention is to provide a device which is extremely simple in construction and which functions to damp vibration of a wire, thereby preventing or minimizing the transmission of vibration to the structure that is supporting the wires on which the device is attached.

A house or portions of the house are converted to a resonator when a wire is secured to the house and a breeze causes the wire to vibrate. Accordingly, unwanted sounds are heard very clearly in the house, and occasionally, the amplification of this sound energy is such as to be loud enough to become a great annoyance.

The outdoor antenna has returned to popularity with present day television receivers. It is not uncommon that television antennas are supported on the roof of a house, the sides or other convenient structural portions thereof. Often guy wires are used to hold the antenna mast erect. When the wind blows, the guy wires vibrate, transmitting vibratory movement to their anchors. Inasmuch as the anchors are connected to a portion of the house, the vibratory motion gives rise to sound wave propagation in the house.` Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a device which is attachable to the guy wires only, which device effectively damps the vibration, thereby avoiding the discomfort of sound transmission in the house.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a device for damping vibrations of the guy wire of a television antenna assembly, the Idevice including a pair of connected plates held together by a bendable tab, the plates supporting a pair of pads between which the wires are passed. In this way, the several wires of a group are cared for simultaneously.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a typical antenna commonly found today and having the invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the line 2 2 of Figure 1 and in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional View of the device illustrating its configuration prior to being secured to the guy wires;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional View taken on a line 4 4 of Figure 2 in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the plane of line 5--5 of Figure 2 and in the direction of the arrows.

A mast having a television antenna 12 at the top ICC of it is shown in Figure l, this mast being secured to a roof top or the like by means of an anchor 14 at the lower end thereof. Antenna 12. merely typiiies the suggested use of theA invention and is not intended to indicate that the invention is useful only in connection with this type of antenna. It may be used in connection with other antennas.

Four anchors, asS eye bolts 16 1,8, 2Q and 22 respectively are secured to the roof top, and each has a group of guy Wires extending therefrom. Any number of guy wires may be used, as found desirable or expedient in the particular installation under consideration. In the illustration, there are three guy wires, as wires 25, 26, and 27 in each of the four groups. The outer ends of these wires are connected by means of standard couplings to the mast 10 at spaced places thereof, and the other ends are connected to eye bolt 20. In most instances, turnbuckles as at 28, are used to serve their usual function.

The vibration damping device 30 is preferably connected to each of the guy wires in a single group. Therefore, damping device 30 is shown as being operatively connected with the guy wires 25, 26 and 27.

Damping device 30 comprises a flat plate 32 having a pad 34 of felt or other suitable flexible material secured to one surface thereof. Plate 32 is bent to assume a generally U-shape so that the pad 34 may be considered as a pair of pads with surfaces opposing each other, and the plate 32 may be considered as a pair of plates generally parallel to each other with a curved connecting portion 38. A pair of parallel ribs 39 and 40 rise perpendicularly from one of the pair of plates, while a pair of parallel ribs 41 and 42 rise perpendicularly from the other of said pair of plates. By virtue of this construction, a channel cross-section is formed in order to add strength and rigidity to the device.

In use, the Vibration `damper is bent from the condition shown in Figure 3 to the condition shown in Figure 2 with the wires extending through it and contacting the confronting surfaces of the pads.

It is intended that the material of plate 32 be sufiiciently stout so that the wires 25, 26 and 27 are held reasonably firmly by merely bending the plate 32 to assume the position shown in Figure 2. However, to assure that the wires 25, 26 and 27 are held very firmly and permanently, a locking device is employed. Preferably, the locking device consists of a tab 44 which protrudes beyond one end of pad 34 and ribs y41 and 42. The tab 44 is returned approximately 180 so that it seats upon a part of the upper surface of plate 32 between the ribs 39 and 40.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A vibration damper comprising a bendable fiat member which is adapted to be bent onto at least one wire, said member having an elongated pad on one surface thereof which has a pair of parallel confronting surfaces adapted to contact the wire when the member is bent around said wire, ribs on outer edges and protruding from the opposite surface of said member and spaced from each other to provide a bending area in said member unsupported by said ribs so that when said member is bent in said bending area there are defined two approximately parallel plates and two approximately parallel pads, and a bendable tab at one end of said member, said tab adapted to be bent over the other of said members in References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,496,768 Booth et al. June 10, 1924 4 Balduf Oct. 22, 1929 Matone Oct. 25, 1932 Shafer Dec. 12, 1933 Loewus May 2, 1939 Robertson July 23, 1946 Rainey July 13, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS France July 23, H1947 

